Chapel working group appointed

Nine members of the University community have been appointed by President Nan Keohane and Dean of the Chapel William Willimon to serve on a committee-chaired by Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple, chaplain of the Episcopal Student Center-that will study the issue of allowing same-sex unions in the Chapel. The group hopes to recommend a course of action to Keohane by mid-November.

"Any time your student government president says to the Board of Trustees that this is something the students feel should be done, you have to take that pretty seriously, so we did," said committee member and University trustee Rev. Charles Smith, who is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Neither Hodges-Copple nor Willimon could be reached for comment.

The other committee members are: Jenny Copeland, who works in the Office of Religious Life; Vice President for Institutional Equity Sally Dickson; University Archivist William King; Karen Krahulik, director of the Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Life; Bishop C.P. Minnick of the United Methodist Church; Judith Ruderman, vice provost for academic and administrative services; and Senior Associate Dean of Trinity College Gerald Wilson.

The executive council of the Academic Council will appoint a faculty member to serve on the committee, and the Graduate and Professional Student Council will select a graduate representative.

Duke Student Government President Jordan Bazinsky, who raised the issue of same-sex marriages at the Board of Trustees' last meeting, said he was pleased with the committee's makeup, even though there are no undergraduates on the committee.

The trustees approved the committee's formation at an executive meeting with Keohane Saturday morning.

"The president put a lot of thoughtful deliberation into the selection," said Bazinsky, a senior.